On what grounds now can years on the tenure clock be extended?
By University policy, the tenure probationary period is extended when, for a limited set of specific reasons, one or more years is excluded from counting toward the total years of tenure track service. Only faculty members who give birth to a child are entitled to an automatic exclusion of one year on the tenure clock. The current rules also make it possible for faculty members to request exclusions of time on the clock for other reasons, including dependent care or medical emergencies. These requests must be approved by the dean and by the provost. Because there are no explicit criteria for such requests, individual faculty–and their mentors and department chairs–may be unaware of the possibilities potentially available. For the same reason, decision makers are often reluctant to authorize these exceptions.
